Raze Permit Filed for Dent Place Home

The owners of the home at 3324 Dent Pl. NW, which was smashed by a tree during Hurricane Irene last August, have filed for a raze permit. The home was registered as vacant in July of 2010 and has been on the blighted list since November 2011, according to the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.

When a tree fell on the home in 2011, Jerry McCoy, Peabody Room special collections librarian at the Georgetown Branch Library, commented that the "structure appears on late 19th century plat maps housed in the Peabody Room. As the lone wood frame home on that block it was a real survivor."

The home was once owned by Mary Cheney, who left a colorful note for neighbors on the front step to warn away trespassers.

"WARNING: This is NOT a vacant property. This is my personal residence," it reads. In the note, Cheney accuses DCRA of improperly marking her property as vacant and causing damage to the home. She advises that she is seeking legal action against the agency.

"FAIR NOTICE: Kindly refrain from trespassing or the commission of any other tortious acts. This may save you from being named a defendant, impleaded or otherwise embroiled in the upcoming litigation," she concludes. 

Cheney is no longer listed on property records as the owner. According to the Department of Real Estate Service records, the detached, single-family home sold in May 2012 for $560,000 to Deyi Awadallah of Falls Church, Va.

The Old Georgetown Board has the raze permit on its October agenda, so the permit is still under consideration.